Tom Brady: What It Takes to Lead Your Teammates

I could argue that few leadership commentators have written as many articles about Tom Brady, the legendary NFL quarterback, as I have outside the world of sports reporting.

But I won’t make that claim because that’s not the Brady Way.

How do I know this?

Brady and Nitin Nohria, former dean of the Harvard Business School, have penned an article about his leadership philosophy, titled “Tom Brady and the Art of Leading Teammates.”

The Team

Team first is a pillar of that philosophy, which Tommy – as he was known then – learned at Michigan.

As season ticket-holder, I saw Brady play in the Big House as a skinny fifth-year senior trying to keep his starting job competing against a local high school favorite, Drew Henson. [It's a story he tells in his HBR article.]

I will let you guess who eventually became the starting quarterback.

It was an identical story when he was drafted 199th in the 2000 NFL draft, the sixth quarterback taken by the New England Patriots. Soon after, Brady met Robert Kraft, the owner of the Pats, and told him that drafting him was the team's best decision ever. Kraft found it amusing, but within two years, he realized after his team had won the Super Bowl under Tom's leadership that the kid from California, via Michigan, was the real deal. Five more titles were to come. The legend was real. Really.

The Lessons

In the Harvard Business Review article, Brady lays out his philosophy in seven steps.

• One, Put the team first, always, even when facing personal adversity.
• Two, Show appreciation for unsung colleagues.
• Three, Set the standard and create a culture of 100% effort.
• Four, Recognize teammates’ individual psychology and the best ways to motivate them.
• Five, Understand and complement the style of the formal leader.
• Six, Recognize and counteract the external forces that can cause selfish behavior.
• Seven, Create opportunities to connect as people outside the office.

Let me add one final point. The title of this article uses the word “teammates.” And that’s a key point. Team first, but you can only lead the team if you understand your teammates.

One more lesson

The last article I wrote when Brady retired from the Tampa Bay Bucs in 2022 --where he had won another Super Bowl ring the year before—was intended to be my swan song on the Brady leadership story.

But when someone you have followed for a quarter century—through national traumas like 9/11, the 2008 financial crisis and COVID–19—lays out his thoughts on leadership, who am I to take a pass?

Good work, Tom! Thank you for your contributions in the field… and now in the leadership literature arena.

Note: Readers interested in my 200 posts for HBR.org can access them here.

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